The Ultimate Pantry

Like many Foodies out there, cooking and baking is an essential part of the day. And if you don’t have the ingredients necessary, it can be a challenge to find a substitute. So, here’s my list of The Ultimately Stocked Kitchen. No, I do not have every ingredient on the list, but I sure wish I had space big enough that I could! This list is compiled from various sites throughout the web. I hope that you find it helpful. Items that I will not include in this list are processed / pre-packaged foods. There are times when purchasing the item is simply the best way, so I’ve included them even though they may not be “whole foods”.

Refrigerator

Eggs

Butter or margarine

Milk

Heavy / Whipping cream

Sour cream

Cream cheese

Mild cheese

Sharp cheese

Mozzarella

Parmesan cheese

Romano cheese

Mayonnaise

Yellow mustard

Dijon mustard

Worcestershire sauce

Horseradish

Ketchup

Orange juice

Cranberry juice

Feta cheese

Goat cheese

Gruyere cheese

Gouda cheese

Muenster cheese

Bleu cheese

Stilton cheese

Gorgonzola cheese

Plain yogurt (My preference is Greek yogurt for its flavor and texture.)

Tofu

Seitan

Tempeh

Cottage cheese

Ricotta cheese

Dumpling wrappers

Egg roll / Spring roll wrappers

Wonton skins

Creme fraiche

Soy milk

Rice milk

Hemp milk

Oat milk

Almond milk

Freezer

*Frozen fruits and vegetables are healthier than canned because most of the nutrients are lost during the process of manufacturing the canned goods. Frozen fruits and vegetables is also a great option for out of season and hard to find items often found in ethnic cooking.

Ice cream

Sorbet

Ice

Vegetables (Assorted)

Fruits (Assorted)

Nuts (Assorted) Keeping nuts in the freezer prevents them from going rancid after a couple of weeks. They can “keep” in the freezer for several months.

Puff Pastry (shells and sheets) This is a very difficult item to make from scratch so it is included here.

Phyllo dough This is a very difficult item to make from scratch so it is included here.

Meats (Assorted)

Fish (Assorted)

Poultry (Assorted)

Pasta (Assorted) You can either make your own from scratch and freeze it, or find minimally processed already frozen pasta

Pine nuts

Produce

All purpose potatoes

Yukon Gold potatoes

Red Bliss potatoes

Sweet potatoes

Yams

Onions

Shallots

Garlic

Sweet peppers

Hot peppers

Fresh mushrooms

Mango

Papaya

Persimmons

Lettuce

Cucumbers

Tomatoes

Carrots

Celery

Apples

Oranges

Lemons

Limes

Fresh herbs (Assorted)

Bananas

Pears

Asparagus

Spinach

Fennel

Leeks

Kale

Collard Greens

Mustard Greens

Swiss Chard

Romaine Lettuce

Boston/Butter Lettuce

Ginger root

Grapes

Parsnips

Yucca root

Rutabaga (Purple top turnips)

Cabbage

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Edamame

String beans

Squash (Green and yellow)

Berries (Assorted)

Eggplant

Okra

Artichokes

Wax beans

Berries (Assorted)

Cherries

Bok Choy

Pineapple

Apricot

Peaches

Nectarines

Cranberries

Celery root / Celeriac

Corn (on the cob)

Coconut

Melons (Assorted)

Cucumber

Wasabi root

Lemongrass

Tomatillos

Avocados

Radishes

Beets

Pumpkin

Winter squash

Endive

Radicchio

Dry Goods

All-purpose flour

Whole wheat flour

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

Cake flour

Bread flour

Cornmeal

Granulated sugar (To make “superfine” sugar, just take granulated sugar and blend it well)

Confectioner’s sugar

Brown sugar (Light & Dark)

Baking soda

Baking powder

Yeast (Freeze for longer shelf life)

Cornstarch

Arrowroot

Agar agar

Kamut

Wheat germ

Wheat berries

Amaranth

Spelt

Kasha

Buckwheat

Millet

Unsweetened cocoa

Unsweetened chocolate

Semi & bitter sweet chocolate

Tapioca

Oatmeal

Cereal

Pasta:

Penne or ziti

Spaghetti

Angel hair / Capellini

Fettuccini

Linguini

Ditalini

Lasagna

Orzo

Elbows

Fusilli

Orrechietti

Cavatappi

Vermicelli

Papardella

Orzo (rice shaped)

Pastina (tiny stars)

Acini de pepe (tiny dots)

Bouble This is a specialty type which is shaped similar to elbows.

Farfalle

Gemelli

Rigatoni

Rotini

Tubettini

Bucatini

Tagliatelle

Egg noodles

Rice noodles

Soba noodles

Long grain rice

Brown rice

Wild rice

Arborio rice

Basmati rice

Jasmine rice

Matzoh

Panko

Barley

Couscous

Quinoa

Farro

Grits

Polenta

Kidney beans

White beans

Black beans

Navy beans

Cannelli beans

Pinto beans

Roman beans

Lentils

Chick peas

Tamarind

Bulgur

Split peas

Dried corn

Dried fruits (Assorted) You can either buy them already dried or dry them yourself.

Pectin (Also for canning. There’s non-animal derived varieties which are very good.)

Poppy seeds

Sesame seeds (Light & Dark)

Chili powder

Turmeric

Saffron

Star Anise

Anise seeds

Coriander

Ground Cardamon

Chinese 5 Spice You can buy the different spices and mix them yourself, but the proportions may be off.

Garam Masala You can buy the different spices and mix them yourself, but the proportions may be off.

Herbs de Provence You can buy the different herbs and mix them yourself, but the proportions may be off.

Allspice

Bottles/Jars

Jams or jellies

Olives

Capers

Pure maple syrup

Honey

Agave nectar

Pure vanilla extract

Hot sauce

Anchovies

Anchovy paste

Worcestershire sauce

Soy sauce

Hoisin sauce

Teriyaki sauce

Tahini

Sesame paste

Peanut /Cashew/ Almond butter

Waterchestnuts

Tamari

Almond extract

Lemon extract

Maple extract

Lemon extract

Orange extract

Peppermint extract

Mirin

Oyster sauce

Fish sauce

Chili sauce

Blackstrap Molasses

Ponzu

Wasabi sauce

Dried wasabi

Sriracha

Piri-piri sauce

Kimchi

Miso

Hoisin sauce

Plum sauce

Fruit nectar (Assorted)

Miscellaneous

Tea

Coffee

Sunflower seeds

Pumpkin seeds

Crackers (Assorted)

Coconut milk

Tomato paste Making this from scratch is too labor intense to be made at home. You can find it in a tube, or in its less expensive form the can

Crushed or whole tomatoes If you do buy canned tomatoes, look for “San Marzano” on the label (which is the best quality). Many people do can enough tomatoes to last the winter, but this is a great option for those who aren’t able to do so.